Wednesday, August 25, 2010
MANILVA VENDIMIA 2010.
WEDNESDAY 25TH.AUGUST 2010.
The weather forecast at the moment is getting hotter everyday and at night; yesterday our good friend from Chester Jane tried to get out for a quick surprise visit this weekend but could but get a flight back on Sunday so we will have to wait a little longer to see her, sorry Jane but we are keeping the “Cloudy Bay” on ice!
This week the village is getting ready for next weekend 4/5th.September as it is the 2010 Vendimia Festival; this is the big one and also the most enjoyable, the whole village celebrates the end of the grape picking over the two days. On the Saturday they hold a church service and then in the late afternoon parade the Santa Ana statue through the streets with the village brass band leading the procession; they build two stages in Calle Mar and the one in front of the town hall, at the top of our street is where they hold the competition for the largest and best bunch of grapes, in the evening the two bands perform on the stages until 3-00am and the Bars do a roaring trade all along Calle Mar which is covered by a canopy that is being erected as I type this; they also have a fine spray mist during the day which comes down from under the canopy and keeps you cool during the day as it gets very busy, noisy and village goes mad !
On the Sunday, the main day, the village starts to fill up from early morning when there are literally thousands of people come to party; all the stalls are open and the whole street and the houses and bars along it are decorated with palms and vines; the bands are playing all day and into the night and in the late afternoon there is a parade of traditional Andalusia horses and their riders from “ Pena Manilva ” In the early evening the highlight of the day is the pressing of the grapes in the winery that has been built in Calle Mar, opposite Bar Rojas,at the top of our street; in 2008 I was the first English man to do this and I am hoping that I will be the second in 2010 !
The pictures below show Francisco building the winery and I will update it every day as it goes up, also they are putting up the canopy over the next few day and I will show this as it happens – Watch this space !
Thought for the Day;
Life is short ! Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh often, Be grateful daily and never regret anything that made you smile !
PS; Today I have started the countdown to September the 24th,one month to go to being a pensioner !!
.
.
The weather forecast at the moment is getting hotter everyday and at night; yesterday our good friend from Chester Jane tried to get out for a quick surprise visit this weekend but could but get a flight back on Sunday so we will have to wait a little longer to see her, sorry Jane but we are keeping the “Cloudy Bay” on ice!
This week the village is getting ready for next weekend 4/5th.September as it is the 2010 Vendimia Festival; this is the big one and also the most enjoyable, the whole village celebrates the end of the grape picking over the two days. On the Saturday they hold a church service and then in the late afternoon parade the Santa Ana statue through the streets with the village brass band leading the procession; they build two stages in Calle Mar and the one in front of the town hall, at the top of our street is where they hold the competition for the largest and best bunch of grapes, in the evening the two bands perform on the stages until 3-00am and the Bars do a roaring trade all along Calle Mar which is covered by a canopy that is being erected as I type this; they also have a fine spray mist during the day which comes down from under the canopy and keeps you cool during the day as it gets very busy, noisy and village goes mad !
On the Sunday, the main day, the village starts to fill up from early morning when there are literally thousands of people come to party; all the stalls are open and the whole street and the houses and bars along it are decorated with palms and vines; the bands are playing all day and into the night and in the late afternoon there is a parade of traditional Andalusia horses and their riders from “ Pena Manilva ” In the early evening the highlight of the day is the pressing of the grapes in the winery that has been built in Calle Mar, opposite Bar Rojas,at the top of our street; in 2008 I was the first English man to do this and I am hoping that I will be the second in 2010 !
The pictures below show Francisco building the winery and I will update it every day as it goes up, also they are putting up the canopy over the next few day and I will show this as it happens – Watch this space !
Thought for the Day;
Life is short ! Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh often, Be grateful daily and never regret anything that made you smile !
PS; Today I have started the countdown to September the 24th,one month to go to being a pensioner !!
.
.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
MANILVA TODAY.
MONDAY 23RD.AUGUST 2010.
Just as I was typing the blog this morning I heard the sound of an electric bell and somebody calling; it was the village knife grinder on his Moped looking for business! This happens all the time with different people coming around the narrow streets calling out, the fresh fish van is on a Thursday, the dried fish man comes nearly everyday and is the loudest, the Lottery seller is every morning and the Gas Bottle man is on Monday’s and Thursday.Village life – why we love it !!
.
Just as I was typing the blog this morning I heard the sound of an electric bell and somebody calling; it was the village knife grinder on his Moped looking for business! This happens all the time with different people coming around the narrow streets calling out, the fresh fish van is on a Thursday, the dried fish man comes nearly everyday and is the loudest, the Lottery seller is every morning and the Gas Bottle man is on Monday’s and Thursday.Village life – why we love it !!
.
MANILVA WEEKEND CONCERTS.
FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY 20TH./22ND.August 2010.
Over the weekend the Culture department of the town council arranged a series of concerts under the direction of Diego Jose Jimenez; On Thursday the stage was erected in front of the Town Hall on Calle Mar and all the lighting and sound equipment was brought in. During Friday the street was closed and all the chairs were placed out in front of the stage for the evening production; the whole village attends and the two bars either side of the stage, Bar Rojas and Cafeteria Nacho also put out extra tables and chairs in the street and do a roaring business in food and drink! Friday’s show was performed by members of the Theatre of Manilva which contains adults and children along with some handicapped children; they gave a series of short sketches’s in costumes and the audience sat spell bound,Manilva TV host’s and introduces each evening’s show which is broadcast later.
Saturdays concert was given by the Compania de Dany Santos and was a musical production with a story line; the main singer who has a “ Helluva ” voice leads the cast and the crowd joins in with all the songs and clap as each number is performed; the concerts start at around 10-30 in the evening and the atmosphere is terrific.
On Sunday the performance was by all the performers and was introduced by the presenter from Manilva TV Caramello to the largest audience of the weekend,more chairs had to be brought in and the village was packed full; the show started with two numbers from the Theatre company and the Compania de Danny Santos then did their version of Cinderella with singing and dancing, the crowd all joined in and there was real buzz about the stage. At the end of the concert the audience went mad and gave all the performers a standing ovation !
We took all this in from under the Sonbrajo of Bar Rojas so the pictures are a little out of focus but still give you an idea of the shows; On Friday we had supper of Scampi Provencale with rice before we joined Mano and Anna up at the bar; they were having dinner there with a friend, before Mano had to go into work, who is staying with them for a week,Sanj,who is like a second son to them. He is from Pakistan and works in the club and music scene in London. On Saturday after we had our dinner of minute steak with salad and baked potatoes we once again made our way up to Bar Rojas which was very busy. Last night we had cold Pork Loin, which I had roasted in the morning, with new potatoes and stuffed peppers and were joined later up at Bar Rojas by Lilli with her stepdaughter Meya,she lives in Sweden with her mum and has flown down on her own, she is only just twelve, for a holiday with them. Meanwhile Brian was out with the lads,Carlos,Andy and Sanj on the town !
As the final curtain came down on the concerts the two companies came into Bar Rojas for a late supper which was pre arranged and the last two picture shows them enjoying their meal at one o’clock in the morning at the end of just another great weekend in Sunny Manilva.On Sunday morning Brenda spoke to her sisters over in England, they are starting to get excited about their holiday in September, today Brenda is getting their two bedrooms ready for them and we are going to finish them off in the next few days.
Thought for the Day;
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
.
Over the weekend the Culture department of the town council arranged a series of concerts under the direction of Diego Jose Jimenez; On Thursday the stage was erected in front of the Town Hall on Calle Mar and all the lighting and sound equipment was brought in. During Friday the street was closed and all the chairs were placed out in front of the stage for the evening production; the whole village attends and the two bars either side of the stage, Bar Rojas and Cafeteria Nacho also put out extra tables and chairs in the street and do a roaring business in food and drink! Friday’s show was performed by members of the Theatre of Manilva which contains adults and children along with some handicapped children; they gave a series of short sketches’s in costumes and the audience sat spell bound,Manilva TV host’s and introduces each evening’s show which is broadcast later.
Saturdays concert was given by the Compania de Dany Santos and was a musical production with a story line; the main singer who has a “ Helluva ” voice leads the cast and the crowd joins in with all the songs and clap as each number is performed; the concerts start at around 10-30 in the evening and the atmosphere is terrific.
On Sunday the performance was by all the performers and was introduced by the presenter from Manilva TV Caramello to the largest audience of the weekend,more chairs had to be brought in and the village was packed full; the show started with two numbers from the Theatre company and the Compania de Danny Santos then did their version of Cinderella with singing and dancing, the crowd all joined in and there was real buzz about the stage. At the end of the concert the audience went mad and gave all the performers a standing ovation !
We took all this in from under the Sonbrajo of Bar Rojas so the pictures are a little out of focus but still give you an idea of the shows; On Friday we had supper of Scampi Provencale with rice before we joined Mano and Anna up at the bar; they were having dinner there with a friend, before Mano had to go into work, who is staying with them for a week,Sanj,who is like a second son to them. He is from Pakistan and works in the club and music scene in London. On Saturday after we had our dinner of minute steak with salad and baked potatoes we once again made our way up to Bar Rojas which was very busy. Last night we had cold Pork Loin, which I had roasted in the morning, with new potatoes and stuffed peppers and were joined later up at Bar Rojas by Lilli with her stepdaughter Meya,she lives in Sweden with her mum and has flown down on her own, she is only just twelve, for a holiday with them. Meanwhile Brian was out with the lads,Carlos,Andy and Sanj on the town !
As the final curtain came down on the concerts the two companies came into Bar Rojas for a late supper which was pre arranged and the last two picture shows them enjoying their meal at one o’clock in the morning at the end of just another great weekend in Sunny Manilva.On Sunday morning Brenda spoke to her sisters over in England, they are starting to get excited about their holiday in September, today Brenda is getting their two bedrooms ready for them and we are going to finish them off in the next few days.
Thought for the Day;
Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
MANILVA MODERN TECHNOLOGY.
THURSDAY 19TH.AUGUST 2010.
Over the last couple of days I have been working on a new music play system called “ Spotify ”which I already had on the small PC; the only way up to then was to be sent a membership by another member, which a friend Tony,thanks,did a few months ago, at the same time a registered my details over a year ago but did not hear from them ! So it was a great surprise when I received an e-mail with an invite to join their new system,free,and I’ am now using the Spotify music play on the main PC; you must check it out as it is very good, quick and easy to use now that there is no waiting list ! I play all our music through the speakers, loud and we really enjoy listening to different artists every day and storing our favourites.There are lots more features on the system that you can use. Check it out!!
When we were over with Vidal he recommended to me a site on which you can create your own radio station for anybody to listen too; “ Jango ” is also very easy to start up and it is free, once again. I have registered and have started to put the music together to play on my programme;it is easy to navigate around and has lots of different features including video, I will give you all the details of my radio station as soon as I have put it all together. Meanwhile I’ am listening to other peoples shows to get some hints !! Check it out at the same time !
Today we called our International Banking service which looks after our bank account over at HSBC in Colwyn Bay; it is only used for some transactions that are still ongoing, which we have left over in North Wales for simplicity, all our accounts were closed and transferred to our Spanish Bank; we arranged for a transfer over to our account which normally, in the past takes one day and to our great surprise two hours later it had arrived ! Now that is efficiency with a capital “ E ”
.
Over the last couple of days I have been working on a new music play system called “ Spotify ”which I already had on the small PC; the only way up to then was to be sent a membership by another member, which a friend Tony,thanks,did a few months ago, at the same time a registered my details over a year ago but did not hear from them ! So it was a great surprise when I received an e-mail with an invite to join their new system,free,and I’ am now using the Spotify music play on the main PC; you must check it out as it is very good, quick and easy to use now that there is no waiting list ! I play all our music through the speakers, loud and we really enjoy listening to different artists every day and storing our favourites.There are lots more features on the system that you can use. Check it out!!
When we were over with Vidal he recommended to me a site on which you can create your own radio station for anybody to listen too; “ Jango ” is also very easy to start up and it is free, once again. I have registered and have started to put the music together to play on my programme;it is easy to navigate around and has lots of different features including video, I will give you all the details of my radio station as soon as I have put it all together. Meanwhile I’ am listening to other peoples shows to get some hints !! Check it out at the same time !
Today we called our International Banking service which looks after our bank account over at HSBC in Colwyn Bay; it is only used for some transactions that are still ongoing, which we have left over in North Wales for simplicity, all our accounts were closed and transferred to our Spanish Bank; we arranged for a transfer over to our account which normally, in the past takes one day and to our great surprise two hours later it had arrived ! Now that is efficiency with a capital “ E ”
.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
MANILVA LIFE.
SUNDAY/TUESDAY 15TH./17TH.AUGUST 2010.
Sunday was a bank holiday in Spain so it is a long weekend with all the shops shut on Monday; it is the height of the holiday season, for the Spanish, with the rush to get home and to the coast is at it’s busiest so this weekend also see’s the most deaths on the roads, this year being no exception. The holiday is called “Welcomes Tourists”and everywhere is very busy with loads of things going on all the time, the weather is hot and clammy down here on the Costa del Sol but in the rest of Spain there are thunder storms and severe weather warnings for the next couple of days, like the rest of Europe.
In the morning I roasted a Chicken to have cold for supper with salad and warm new potatoes as Mano and Anna were joining us as it was Anna’s birthday,Mano is very busy at the hotel, it’s full, and has nearly finished the project of fixing the drains and damp course at his house; he is shattered and so he took his supper to have during the night at work, needless to say we ended up at Bar Rojas for Carajillo’s.
On Monday morning we walked down to Mano and Anna’s as Mano had offered to cut and trim the beard that I have grown over the last few weeks; my Braun shaver needs a new foil and cutter box and the only place to get them is from a specialist shop in Gibraltar which at the moment is struggling to find one. The general consensus was that I would suit a goatee so he offered to show me how to wet shave as I have never done it in my life ! The result is in the picture below; I am now for the time being going to carry on with the wet shaving and have acquired all Brenda’s unused shavers !
We went across to Estepona on Tuesday morning to see Vidal and Gissy as she had offered to do our hair at the same time; their apartment is on the beach and their balcony is ideal as an alfresco hair salon ! We had not seen Vidal for over a year as he was away in Mexico working and over Xmas was home in Trinidad; we had a lot of catching up to do and really enjoyed being with them, they are very good friends and are very supportive as always. The picture above shows Brenda’s new cut,Gissy also trimmed my hair and gave me a face massage to complement my new regime.
PS; Over Monday night the storms hit the rest of Spain but just about passed us by; In Cordoba there was severe flooding and three people were killed and loads of cars were washed away in the floods and mud slides.
.
Sunday was a bank holiday in Spain so it is a long weekend with all the shops shut on Monday; it is the height of the holiday season, for the Spanish, with the rush to get home and to the coast is at it’s busiest so this weekend also see’s the most deaths on the roads, this year being no exception. The holiday is called “Welcomes Tourists”and everywhere is very busy with loads of things going on all the time, the weather is hot and clammy down here on the Costa del Sol but in the rest of Spain there are thunder storms and severe weather warnings for the next couple of days, like the rest of Europe.
In the morning I roasted a Chicken to have cold for supper with salad and warm new potatoes as Mano and Anna were joining us as it was Anna’s birthday,Mano is very busy at the hotel, it’s full, and has nearly finished the project of fixing the drains and damp course at his house; he is shattered and so he took his supper to have during the night at work, needless to say we ended up at Bar Rojas for Carajillo’s.
On Monday morning we walked down to Mano and Anna’s as Mano had offered to cut and trim the beard that I have grown over the last few weeks; my Braun shaver needs a new foil and cutter box and the only place to get them is from a specialist shop in Gibraltar which at the moment is struggling to find one. The general consensus was that I would suit a goatee so he offered to show me how to wet shave as I have never done it in my life ! The result is in the picture below; I am now for the time being going to carry on with the wet shaving and have acquired all Brenda’s unused shavers !
We went across to Estepona on Tuesday morning to see Vidal and Gissy as she had offered to do our hair at the same time; their apartment is on the beach and their balcony is ideal as an alfresco hair salon ! We had not seen Vidal for over a year as he was away in Mexico working and over Xmas was home in Trinidad; we had a lot of catching up to do and really enjoyed being with them, they are very good friends and are very supportive as always. The picture above shows Brenda’s new cut,Gissy also trimmed my hair and gave me a face massage to complement my new regime.
PS; Over Monday night the storms hit the rest of Spain but just about passed us by; In Cordoba there was severe flooding and three people were killed and loads of cars were washed away in the floods and mud slides.
.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
MANILVA CASA LOS BONIS.
THURSDAY/SATURDAY 12TH./14TH.AUGUST 2010.
On Thursday we took things very easy as this week has been the hottest so far, even the locals are starting to wilt; it is especially hot during the night so you do not get much sleep, the village goes’s dead in the afternoon and early evening and even the children have not been able to play out in evening as usual. They are now saying that it is like the old times when the summer weather was like this all the time, over the last few years it has not been so bad.
After shopping early on Friday morning to beat the sun Brenda also did a little shopping in the village, she met our next door neighbour,Ana Mari, who was in the village shopping as well; she has been away at their Campo now for nearly two months with her husband and brother in law, all the family also goes there so it has been very quiet here! A lot of the village locals have these Campo’s out in the country and disappear all the time to them. We have been dying to go to see one of them so it was great surprise when Ana Mari’s bother in law called on his scooter and asked us to follow him to their Campo!
“Casa Los Bonis” was a very pleasant surprise; it is in the valley below the village and is in the middles of the vine groves, it is a large house with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, large lounge and kitchen with roof balcony and an open garden terrace overlooking their vine fields below. The views are spectacular across the valley and down to the Mediterranean below, behind it are the mountains which at this time of the year look magnificent.
Ana Mari offered us her own coffee with sweet cakes as we sat on the terrace and took in the evening air, we then found out all about their family and past history as we conversed in Spanish ! They are all old school and speak no English except for our names so we have to listen very closely and tell them when we don’t understand and then we answer them in the best way that we can, we were rather proud that we managed so well – we thought ! As well as the grapes that they grow, they have a small press and vats to make their own wine, they grow a lot of vegetables and fruit in the garden which is where we have been getting all our fresh fruit and vegetables from as Ana Mari passed them to us through our kitchen windows ! Whilst we were sat there the family called in and they made us very welcome. The pictures are a little hazy as it was very hot and humid but you can see what a real Campo is like!
PS; We came back with a large tray of sweet green grapes !!
.
.
On Thursday we took things very easy as this week has been the hottest so far, even the locals are starting to wilt; it is especially hot during the night so you do not get much sleep, the village goes’s dead in the afternoon and early evening and even the children have not been able to play out in evening as usual. They are now saying that it is like the old times when the summer weather was like this all the time, over the last few years it has not been so bad.
After shopping early on Friday morning to beat the sun Brenda also did a little shopping in the village, she met our next door neighbour,Ana Mari, who was in the village shopping as well; she has been away at their Campo now for nearly two months with her husband and brother in law, all the family also goes there so it has been very quiet here! A lot of the village locals have these Campo’s out in the country and disappear all the time to them. We have been dying to go to see one of them so it was great surprise when Ana Mari’s bother in law called on his scooter and asked us to follow him to their Campo!
“Casa Los Bonis” was a very pleasant surprise; it is in the valley below the village and is in the middles of the vine groves, it is a large house with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, large lounge and kitchen with roof balcony and an open garden terrace overlooking their vine fields below. The views are spectacular across the valley and down to the Mediterranean below, behind it are the mountains which at this time of the year look magnificent.
Ana Mari offered us her own coffee with sweet cakes as we sat on the terrace and took in the evening air, we then found out all about their family and past history as we conversed in Spanish ! They are all old school and speak no English except for our names so we have to listen very closely and tell them when we don’t understand and then we answer them in the best way that we can, we were rather proud that we managed so well – we thought ! As well as the grapes that they grow, they have a small press and vats to make their own wine, they grow a lot of vegetables and fruit in the garden which is where we have been getting all our fresh fruit and vegetables from as Ana Mari passed them to us through our kitchen windows ! Whilst we were sat there the family called in and they made us very welcome. The pictures are a little hazy as it was very hot and humid but you can see what a real Campo is like!
PS; We came back with a large tray of sweet green grapes !!
.
.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
MANILVA NEWSFLASH.
THURSDAY 12TH AUGUST 2010.
Just come off the SKYPE video after speaking to a very old friend from Liverpool from school days who made contact last night via Facebook;Bob Taylor and I were great mates along with other lads in the two roads that we lived in and who went on to form a group called " The Dennisons " Bob's wife Maureen worked in the local shop so we all go back a long way and have lots of catching up to do ! Looking foward to getting all the news as Bob now has time on his hands as he retired six weeks ago so us pensioner's must stick together, my Spanish bus pass comes through on the 24th September!!
PS; Thanks for the family pictures just received.
.
Just come off the SKYPE video after speaking to a very old friend from Liverpool from school days who made contact last night via Facebook;Bob Taylor and I were great mates along with other lads in the two roads that we lived in and who went on to form a group called " The Dennisons " Bob's wife Maureen worked in the local shop so we all go back a long way and have lots of catching up to do ! Looking foward to getting all the news as Bob now has time on his hands as he retired six weeks ago so us pensioner's must stick together, my Spanish bus pass comes through on the 24th September!!
PS; Thanks for the family pictures just received.
.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
MANILVA WEEKEND.
SATURDAY/TUESDAY 7TH./10TH.AUGUST 2010.
Over the weekend the weather is just getting hotter and hotter; is now so hot that you can’t go out of the house for long and our walks in the evening are getting later. As we move about the house we put the fans on as we need them, kitchen, lounge, office and bedroom, the air conditiong is only for when it gets unbearable as it is an acquired feeling and can only be used in small periods. The roof terrace is out of bounds until the sun moves around in the early evening, Brenda is even having problems sunbathing and has to be very careful and only goes for short breaks. This is now the hottest summer in the last few years as over the period it has not been as hot as in the past, so the locals tell us. It is now 38degs.today and the forecast for tomorrow is 40degs+!
On Saturday we had a late supper of minute steak and salad with baked potatoe, on Sunday I roasted a Loin of Pork, first thing in the morning, which we have been having cold but with some vegetables, which we have been missing, Brenda bought some Acelgas,Swiss Chard, that she cooks with the cabbage and I stuffed red peppers with savoury rice and topped with a Provencal sauce and popped them in the over with the Pork ! We rang Mano and asked them round for supper on Sunday evening before he goes into work but they did not come as Anna is still in bed with a bad back that she has now had for a couple of weeks; Next weekend it is her birthday so we hope that she is better by then! We have just come back from Bar Rojas after seeing Mano and Anna,she is back in the land of living and in good form - Thursday am.
Tim phoned on Saturday after coming back from their holiday in Rhodes; they went with Ben, their son and another couple and had a brilliant, but very hot, time, over the weekend there have been a lot of messages on Face book from Australia; we have just been on the Skype Video to Jack and Lyn and have caught up with all their news, they are going on a cruise in November for 28 days around Australia on the “ Dawn Princess ”so I have been on the internet and have got all the details and will follow them as they make their way around the coast and stop at various ports; Over in England we spoke to Ben, Carols son, as he and Andrea have sent us a wedding invitation for the 1st.October,we can’t make it but it is very special of them to ask us as part of their family –thanks, it was also both their birthdays in the last week, Ben was 35 and Andrea ? Brenda’s sisters, Norah and Jenny, are here for two weeks from the 15th/29th September so we are going to have a busy time during September as the first weekend is the Wine Festival in the village-the big one and I am planning to crush the grapes for the second time, watch this space !!
.
Over the weekend the weather is just getting hotter and hotter; is now so hot that you can’t go out of the house for long and our walks in the evening are getting later. As we move about the house we put the fans on as we need them, kitchen, lounge, office and bedroom, the air conditiong is only for when it gets unbearable as it is an acquired feeling and can only be used in small periods. The roof terrace is out of bounds until the sun moves around in the early evening, Brenda is even having problems sunbathing and has to be very careful and only goes for short breaks. This is now the hottest summer in the last few years as over the period it has not been as hot as in the past, so the locals tell us. It is now 38degs.today and the forecast for tomorrow is 40degs+!
On Saturday we had a late supper of minute steak and salad with baked potatoe, on Sunday I roasted a Loin of Pork, first thing in the morning, which we have been having cold but with some vegetables, which we have been missing, Brenda bought some Acelgas,Swiss Chard, that she cooks with the cabbage and I stuffed red peppers with savoury rice and topped with a Provencal sauce and popped them in the over with the Pork ! We rang Mano and asked them round for supper on Sunday evening before he goes into work but they did not come as Anna is still in bed with a bad back that she has now had for a couple of weeks; Next weekend it is her birthday so we hope that she is better by then! We have just come back from Bar Rojas after seeing Mano and Anna,she is back in the land of living and in good form - Thursday am.
Tim phoned on Saturday after coming back from their holiday in Rhodes; they went with Ben, their son and another couple and had a brilliant, but very hot, time, over the weekend there have been a lot of messages on Face book from Australia; we have just been on the Skype Video to Jack and Lyn and have caught up with all their news, they are going on a cruise in November for 28 days around Australia on the “ Dawn Princess ”so I have been on the internet and have got all the details and will follow them as they make their way around the coast and stop at various ports; Over in England we spoke to Ben, Carols son, as he and Andrea have sent us a wedding invitation for the 1st.October,we can’t make it but it is very special of them to ask us as part of their family –thanks, it was also both their birthdays in the last week, Ben was 35 and Andrea ? Brenda’s sisters, Norah and Jenny, are here for two weeks from the 15th/29th September so we are going to have a busy time during September as the first weekend is the Wine Festival in the village-the big one and I am planning to crush the grapes for the second time, watch this space !!
.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
MANILVA CARNIVAL FRIDAY.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY 5TH./6TH.AUGUST 2010.
On Thursday morning we awoke to the sounds of fireworks, guns and the Charanga Band at full blast to mark the start of the four days of the Feria; the whole village goes mad over this period as the opening ceremony takes place in the evening, it is all broadcast on ManilvaTV live for the four days. After supper we went for a walk and ended up at Bar Rojas as we have decided not to go down to the Feria this year but watch it on the TV. As we enjoyed the balmy evening outside under the Sonbrajo two Swedish lads, over on holiday came and sat next to us, I gave them my usual welcome in Swedish and we then imparted our local knowledge to them; Marcus and Alexander were good company as we talked, in English, late into the night!
Friday morning is our shopping day to stock up for the week; in the evening for supper I made Scampi Provencale with Rice, the sauce was made in the morning when we came back from Sabinillas so it had plenty of time to mature, a very pleasant change. As we were just finishing we heard the band coming into the village, the Carnival parade had started early so we dashed up to Calle Mar outside Bar Rojas to catch the procession with all the floats as it passed along the street, all the Carnival Queens, of different ages have their own floats and had been crowned the night before down at the Feria. Each Float has its own music system and plays loud dancing music as they pass along; they throw streamers, confetti and small sweets to the crowds, the dancing animals and various characters also get everybody to join in, so a couple of the pictures are a bit out of focus as I was dancing along with them, at one stage I was covered in confetti and streamers and dancing outside Bar Rojas with all our neighbours,the Charanga band was in the middle of the parade and as the reached the top of our street they stopped and played as loud as they could as I conducted them to a climax !
The village was very busy as this was happening and all the bars did a roaring trade, but later as they all go down to the Feria ground it goes back to its old sleepy self. The picture below shows you the floats but you can’t get the sounds and atmosphere unless you are here! Come and join us!!
PS; The council workers follow the parade and clean up the mess as you can see,this morning they have finished off the job and washed down everywhere.
.
.
On Thursday morning we awoke to the sounds of fireworks, guns and the Charanga Band at full blast to mark the start of the four days of the Feria; the whole village goes mad over this period as the opening ceremony takes place in the evening, it is all broadcast on ManilvaTV live for the four days. After supper we went for a walk and ended up at Bar Rojas as we have decided not to go down to the Feria this year but watch it on the TV. As we enjoyed the balmy evening outside under the Sonbrajo two Swedish lads, over on holiday came and sat next to us, I gave them my usual welcome in Swedish and we then imparted our local knowledge to them; Marcus and Alexander were good company as we talked, in English, late into the night!
Friday morning is our shopping day to stock up for the week; in the evening for supper I made Scampi Provencale with Rice, the sauce was made in the morning when we came back from Sabinillas so it had plenty of time to mature, a very pleasant change. As we were just finishing we heard the band coming into the village, the Carnival parade had started early so we dashed up to Calle Mar outside Bar Rojas to catch the procession with all the floats as it passed along the street, all the Carnival Queens, of different ages have their own floats and had been crowned the night before down at the Feria. Each Float has its own music system and plays loud dancing music as they pass along; they throw streamers, confetti and small sweets to the crowds, the dancing animals and various characters also get everybody to join in, so a couple of the pictures are a bit out of focus as I was dancing along with them, at one stage I was covered in confetti and streamers and dancing outside Bar Rojas with all our neighbours,the Charanga band was in the middle of the parade and as the reached the top of our street they stopped and played as loud as they could as I conducted them to a climax !
The village was very busy as this was happening and all the bars did a roaring trade, but later as they all go down to the Feria ground it goes back to its old sleepy self. The picture below shows you the floats but you can’t get the sounds and atmosphere unless you are here! Come and join us!!
PS; The council workers follow the parade and clean up the mess as you can see,this morning they have finished off the job and washed down everywhere.
.
.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
MANILVA LIFE.
TUESDAY 3RD.AUGUST 2010.
This morning I made a Beef and vegetable stew, for a change, as we are getting a little fed up with salads all the time, especially me! We then had a call from Mano to say that they were up at Bar Rojas so we shot up and caught all the news, Anna’s back is a lot better and he is now on top of the repairs to the damp course; in the evening we had the stew with Cabbage and pickled Beetroot and afterwards we went for a walk, this time for a change we went down from the house to the edge of the village and checked out the apartment blocks which have been built over the last few years, they are two/three bed roomed with terrace’s, private pools, lifts and underground parking but they are soulless with no local contacts; for example this morning we have had the plumber in our house to repair the hot water system, at the same time the water board came to the house opposite which is owned by a family from Madrid who come down for a month during August, our neighbour’s from down the street called Brenda down to the shop as the senora who owns the little dog, Cheta,was back from her campo, more locals that pass all the time stopped to talk and others as they went off to the beach discussed the weather – all in Spanish ! At the same time I was watching the TV to see Michelle Obama as she is staying at a exclusive hotel in Benahavis above Marbella for a short holiday with one of her daughters and the local and national press have gone mad, this a massive PR stunt for Marbella and the Costa del Sol !
As we came back up through the street below ours,Calle Andrades,as usual at this time of the night they sit outside their doors and all the children play in the streets; as we passed one house two young boys where sat with a very expensive PC on their lap, I stopped and asked if I could show them our blog as they had an excellent Wi-Fi connection. As it came on a lot of the children came and gathered around to see it; as they spotted family and friends in the Santa Ana pictures they called more people to come and see, soon we had a large audience! The mother of the two boys pointed to the picture of Paco the Chief of Police and said that he was her brother, she then asked me to go on the council web page, which is very good, I follow it all the time, and she showed me a picture of herself,Araceli Luque is the area director for education and of course like everybody in the village she knows or is related to most people that come up in conversation!
We then walked to the top of our street and as we reached the corner there was a loud shout from outside Bar Rojas,Lumy and all the regulars were glued to a small PC and what did they have on the screen, our blog !! We are now famous and are open to giving autographs ! We sat with them and showed them the older blogs from a couple of year ago and our travels in Spain and France in the Winnebago. They also noticed that every time Brenda has her hair done there is a picture showing the result ! It’s a small world.
.
This morning I made a Beef and vegetable stew, for a change, as we are getting a little fed up with salads all the time, especially me! We then had a call from Mano to say that they were up at Bar Rojas so we shot up and caught all the news, Anna’s back is a lot better and he is now on top of the repairs to the damp course; in the evening we had the stew with Cabbage and pickled Beetroot and afterwards we went for a walk, this time for a change we went down from the house to the edge of the village and checked out the apartment blocks which have been built over the last few years, they are two/three bed roomed with terrace’s, private pools, lifts and underground parking but they are soulless with no local contacts; for example this morning we have had the plumber in our house to repair the hot water system, at the same time the water board came to the house opposite which is owned by a family from Madrid who come down for a month during August, our neighbour’s from down the street called Brenda down to the shop as the senora who owns the little dog, Cheta,was back from her campo, more locals that pass all the time stopped to talk and others as they went off to the beach discussed the weather – all in Spanish ! At the same time I was watching the TV to see Michelle Obama as she is staying at a exclusive hotel in Benahavis above Marbella for a short holiday with one of her daughters and the local and national press have gone mad, this a massive PR stunt for Marbella and the Costa del Sol !
As we came back up through the street below ours,Calle Andrades,as usual at this time of the night they sit outside their doors and all the children play in the streets; as we passed one house two young boys where sat with a very expensive PC on their lap, I stopped and asked if I could show them our blog as they had an excellent Wi-Fi connection. As it came on a lot of the children came and gathered around to see it; as they spotted family and friends in the Santa Ana pictures they called more people to come and see, soon we had a large audience! The mother of the two boys pointed to the picture of Paco the Chief of Police and said that he was her brother, she then asked me to go on the council web page, which is very good, I follow it all the time, and she showed me a picture of herself,Araceli Luque is the area director for education and of course like everybody in the village she knows or is related to most people that come up in conversation!
We then walked to the top of our street and as we reached the corner there was a loud shout from outside Bar Rojas,Lumy and all the regulars were glued to a small PC and what did they have on the screen, our blog !! We are now famous and are open to giving autographs ! We sat with them and showed them the older blogs from a couple of year ago and our travels in Spain and France in the Winnebago. They also noticed that every time Brenda has her hair done there is a picture showing the result ! It’s a small world.
.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
MANILVA ANOTHER WEEK.
TUESDAY/MONDAY 27TH.JULY/2ND AUGUST 2010.
After the weekend in Manilva and a late night on Monday we took things a little easier over the next few days as we settled back into our routine; the weather continues to stay very hot and at night it only drops a few degrees, we are now in our full summer mode and go for a walk later in the evening after supper at about 10-00 o’clock.
Thursday evening was the last of the music nights outside the school of music here in Manilva, which have been a great success and we hope that they are going to put more on in the future; the council have a whole lot of cultural happening’s at this time of the year including over the last few weeks a very large screen on the beach in Sabinillas showing Spanish films and over the weekend they had live music, singing and dancing in the square to groups and copla singers, next week it is the Manilva Feria down on the feria ground which takes place over four days and as well as the fair there are all sorts of competitions and even a Motocross event on the track by the quarry.
On Friday morning we went down to Sabinillas to do the shopping and pick up the papers; it is now a lot busier with holiday makers and the roads and beach are full by the early morning, back in our street a lot of our neighbour’s are away as at this time of the year they all go for a couple of months to their “ Campo’s ”in the country; these are smaller cottage style buildings with land where they grow vegetables and keep chickens etc.So we have not been getting as much free fresh vegetables as usual !
We went for our walk on Saturday evening and called into Bar Rojas for a nightcap; as we sat under the sonbrajo Brian and Andy called in for one, Brian had been chucked out of the apartment as Lilli and her younger sister, Sophia who is over on holiday from Finland were having a girlie night in and Andy, who we have not seen for a few weeks as he has started a new job, was out for the first time in a while.
Sunday morning I roasted a Chicken and we had it cold with salad and new potatoes for supper and then watched a film on TVE2 about Cuba, starring Andy Garcia which was OK. I caught up with Facebook and e-mails on Monday as well as the blog, we have not seen or heard from Mano and Anna for over a week; Mano has been working on the drains and damp course outside their house during the day and Anna has had a bad back but they are now out and about again, as I am typing this we have just come back from Bar Rojas after catching up with all the news.
One last thing to mention is Nan’s 90th birthday during last week, Jane’s mum, who we have known for over forty years from when I worked for her husband Burt at the Bridge Inn in Port Sunlight, Brenda and I met there and it was Burt who told me to marry Brenda as she was such a good catch !! Happy Birthday Nan, health and happiness to you from us both.
Thought for the Day;
Success is the result of good judgment,good judgment is a result of experience,experience is often the result of bad judgment.
.
.
After the weekend in Manilva and a late night on Monday we took things a little easier over the next few days as we settled back into our routine; the weather continues to stay very hot and at night it only drops a few degrees, we are now in our full summer mode and go for a walk later in the evening after supper at about 10-00 o’clock.
Thursday evening was the last of the music nights outside the school of music here in Manilva, which have been a great success and we hope that they are going to put more on in the future; the council have a whole lot of cultural happening’s at this time of the year including over the last few weeks a very large screen on the beach in Sabinillas showing Spanish films and over the weekend they had live music, singing and dancing in the square to groups and copla singers, next week it is the Manilva Feria down on the feria ground which takes place over four days and as well as the fair there are all sorts of competitions and even a Motocross event on the track by the quarry.
On Friday morning we went down to Sabinillas to do the shopping and pick up the papers; it is now a lot busier with holiday makers and the roads and beach are full by the early morning, back in our street a lot of our neighbour’s are away as at this time of the year they all go for a couple of months to their “ Campo’s ”in the country; these are smaller cottage style buildings with land where they grow vegetables and keep chickens etc.So we have not been getting as much free fresh vegetables as usual !
We went for our walk on Saturday evening and called into Bar Rojas for a nightcap; as we sat under the sonbrajo Brian and Andy called in for one, Brian had been chucked out of the apartment as Lilli and her younger sister, Sophia who is over on holiday from Finland were having a girlie night in and Andy, who we have not seen for a few weeks as he has started a new job, was out for the first time in a while.
Sunday morning I roasted a Chicken and we had it cold with salad and new potatoes for supper and then watched a film on TVE2 about Cuba, starring Andy Garcia which was OK. I caught up with Facebook and e-mails on Monday as well as the blog, we have not seen or heard from Mano and Anna for over a week; Mano has been working on the drains and damp course outside their house during the day and Anna has had a bad back but they are now out and about again, as I am typing this we have just come back from Bar Rojas after catching up with all the news.
One last thing to mention is Nan’s 90th birthday during last week, Jane’s mum, who we have known for over forty years from when I worked for her husband Burt at the Bridge Inn in Port Sunlight, Brenda and I met there and it was Burt who told me to marry Brenda as she was such a good catch !! Happy Birthday Nan, health and happiness to you from us both.
Thought for the Day;
Success is the result of good judgment,good judgment is a result of experience,experience is often the result of bad judgment.
.
.
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